Moody airmen killed in Afghanistan

March 24, 2003

Lowndes County - Members of the Moody Air Force Base community are mourning the loss of their fellow airmen. "We're like a family here at Moody and when we lose someone, it has an impact on everyone," said Brigadier General John Folkerts.

The Pave Hawk helicopter from Moody's 41st Rescue Squadron crashed in southeastern Afghanistan yesterday, killing all six crew members on board. They were on their way to rescue injured children. "They do this day in and day out," said Folkerts. "Their job is to save lives and that's just what they were doing."

Brigadier General Folkerts says those killed gave the ultimate sacrifice to save others. "The courage shown by those airmen was unmeasurable and we're very thankful for their actions," said Folkerts.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities don't believe the chopper was under enemy fire and say weather may have been a factor. "There weather was poor, but we've flown in worse," said Folkerts. "It wasn't enough to keep us from pursuing the mission at hand."

Moody officials say the investigation into the cause of the crash should take about 30 days.